There is nothing worse than that feeling you get when your bank balance is in the red. If you currently have a negative net worth, and you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck, then you are probably looking for a way out?

It all starts with slashing your expenses, as this allows you to free up money so you can get yourself back into the green.

Here are 5 quick tips for slashing your expenses:

Switch to Cox Cable

Let’s face the facts here for a minute. Cable TV costs are on a steep rise, and if the cable companies are not careful they will end up pricing the average man and woman on the street out of the market.

Luckily, not all companies are in this to squeeze every last drop of profit out of their customers, which is why you might want to consider switching to Cox Cable in Virginia to make some serious savings.

Magazine subscriptions

Do you really need those magazine subscriptions? At the end of the day, there are plenty of magazine style websites out there, with all of the latest news and gossip, and best of all they are completely free! Ditch the magazine subscriptions in order to slash your expenses.

Cancel the gym membership

Be honest with yourself here, how many times have you actually been to the gym since signing up? If you’re like the majority of people then you can probably count your visits on one hand. Don’t feel bad though, as canceling the gym membership is a straight for ward process, and it is an excellent way to free up money and get rid of another unnecessary expense.

If you still want to get in shape, then why not buy an exercise bike for your home? This is only a one-off payment, and it will give you years of service.

Cut your own hair

It might sound extreme, but millions of women are now cutting their own hair in a bid to (literally) slash their expenses. Make no mistake about it, visiting the hairdressers is an expensive luxury these days, which is why cutting your own hair is such a good idea.

Get a quality pair of scissors and make sure there is adequate lighting in the room when standing in front of the mirror. Cut away until you get the style you want.

Quit smoking and drinking

While you might enjoy a smoke and a drink, there is no denying that it is bad for bank balance (as well as your health). For this reason, if you really do want to slash your expenses, then it’s probably time to quit smoking and drinking for good.

The Alberta winter is known to be unforgiving and it regularly causes misery to millions of homeowners around the state. Unless you can just bury yourself in the snow like a bear for a few months, then you will have to prepare your home for the vicious Alberta weather, so you are ready to face the cold snap head on.

This is especially true if this is your first time experiencing an Alberta winter. You might think that just a bit of snow is harmless and nothing to worry about, but we can assure you that if this is your line of thinking then you are in for a nasty shock.

In all honesty, you could find yourself under a blanket of snow for months on end, and when the snow storms start to get nasty, expect to use a lot more energy than usual and even find damage around your property caused by the bad weather.

Ultimately, this will hit you in the wallet hard, but by putting in the proper preparation beforehand, you might just end up smelling of roses in time for spring.

The only good thing about Alberta winters is that you don’t have to worry about being attacked by bears, and if you’ve ever come face to face with a grizzly bear intent on grievous bodily harm, then you will realize that this is a good thing.

Prepare your home for the Alberta winter:

Compare energy providers

Smart Canadians always compare energy providers right before the winter sets in, so they can be 100% sure they are getting the best deal. One company well known for offering extremely low rates is Epcor Energy in Alberta so you might want to give them a try.

Stock up on food

When the worst happens (and it does happen a lot), you won’t be able to leave your house for days at a time, especially if you live in remote Alberta miles away from the nearest town. For this reason, make sure you stock up on food, buying lots of tinned items and things you can store in the freezer.

Insulate your home

Don’t leave it until winter to improve the insulation in your home, because by that time it could be too late. Instead, get everything sorted a few months in advance, so your home is prepared for the cold weather.

In these tough economic times, millions of Americans are up to their eyeballs in debt. If this includes you, and you can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, then you may be looking for a helping hand?

Know this: clearing your debts in not only possible, but you can also do it extremely fast. Find out how with the information below…

Cut your spending

Obviously, one of the main ways to clear your debts is by cutting the spending. For example, let’s say that you need a laptop, is it really a wise idea to shell out $800 when you have thousands of dollars of debt? Of course not.

Instead, visit a site like onlineschoolsthatofferlaptops.org to see how you can get a laptop for free. There are many different sites like this where you can get cool gadgets and other stuff without spending a penny. So keep your wallet in your pocket and use that extra money for clearing your debts.

Don’t get into anymore debt

It’s important to understand that you should stop digging yourself into a bigger hole. Taking out one loan to pay off another is a bad idea, which is why applying for anymore loans or credit cards is not advisable.

Focus on decreasing your debt, not adding to it. If you are tempted to apply for a payday loan or credit card, take a deep breath and remind yourself of how you want to debt free.

Consider a consolidation loan

If you absolutely must take out a loan, then make it a consolidation loan. This is perfect for people who have multiple debts and are being strangled by the repayments.

A consolidation loan allows you to put all of your debts into one manageable loan, and more importantly, only one monthly repayment. This gives you valuable breathing room, which means you can start thinking more clearly, and get rid of your debts quicker.

Ask family and friends for help

Don’t suffer in silence when faced with mounting debt…you don’t need to walk this path alone, especially if you have family and friends close by that could lend you a helping hand.

You might be refraining from taking this path because of your pride. Well, maybe it’s time to swallow your pride? People close to you will understand, and to your surprise, will be eager to help you out in your time of need.

Texas is one of the best States to live in. However, just like many other parts of the country people are really struggling financially right now. Not only that, but prices are constantly on the rise, which means you might be finding it difficult to meet your financial obligations each month.

Don’t panic though. Our Financial experts from Texas have listed some great ideas for cutting your spending so you can save more money.

Change DSL providers

Having internet access is very important for both business and pleasure. However, that doesn’t mean your DSL provider has the right to bleed you dry and charge outrageous fees.

This is why you should seek out Texas DSL Providers and then spend some time comparing each one individually. You might be surprised at just how much money can be saved by simply changing providers.

Consolidate insurance

Another way to cut your spending in Texas is through insurance consolidation. In a nutshell, this means that you bundle all of your insurance premiums with one single company, and then benefit from significant savings each month. This is a great way to save hundreds of dollars a month. Give it a try.

Cell phone contracts

How often do you use your cell phone? Do you really need to tie yourself up in an expensive cell phone contract?

Instead, many people in Texas are now turning to pay as you go cell phones. This means you simply buy a cheap phone and then top it up when you like. No need to sign any contracts, and no need to pay monthly fees.

Utility bills

It seems that the price of electricity and gas are rising every year. That doesn’t mean you should you just blindly accept these additional expenses.

What you need to do is work out ways to reduce the costs of your utility bills in Texas. For example, by simply turning off your computer and unplugging the TV when you are not using them, you can make significant savings every month.

Stop using credit cards

For many people, credit cards are a constant temptation in their purse or wallet. In no time at all, credit card spending can get out of control, and then all you are left with is a huge amount of credit card debt that could take years to pay back.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to stop using credit cards altogether. Cut them up if you need to, and call the credit card companies to cancel your accounts.

In these uncertain economic times, it seems like the price of electricity and gas is always on the rise. With this in mind, isn’t it time you started to think about ways to save money on your utility bills?

Actually, it’s not really that hard to achieve. With just a few small adjustments to the way you live, you could soon be saving hundreds, if not thousands of dollars every single year.

Is this something that sounds interesting to you? Read on to find out more…

Don’t leave the lights on

If you have the bad habit of leaving lights on when you are not in the room, then stop right away. Always turn the lights off when you don’t need them, as this will save you a bundle of money.

Compare utility providers

There are now many utility providers on the market, which means if you are paying over the odds on your bills, then it might be time to make a switch.

For example, if you live in Alberta, Canada, then visit http://www.albertaenergyproviders.com/ to compare different companies and choose the best deal for your budget.

Fill the washing machine

Instead of doing 3 to 4 smaller loads during the week, allow your dirty washing to build up and then fill the washing machine to capacity at the weekend. This will save a lot of energy in the long term, and you will notice your utility bills starting to get cheaper.

Forget about the air conditioning

When it gets really hot, you might not have any other choice but to use the air conditioning. However, at all other times of the year you don’t really need to turn it on.

Instead, try opening the windows and using small fans when it is a bit warm. Ultimately, an air conditioning system uses up a lot of energy, which means it will cost you an arm and a leg if you’re not careful.

Cook in bulk

Another way to save money on your utility bills is to cook in bulk. For example, you could cook enough at one time to feed you for the next 3 days. This is much better than using kitchen appliances such as the oven every single day and wasting energy.

Conclusion

As you can see, saving money on utility bills is not a difficult or complex task. Simply make some small changes here and there, and in no time at all you will start to benefit.

In personal finance saving money is easier than generating it, we look at one way of saving cash.

In this tough economy, more people than ever before are looking to buy a second hand car to cut costs. However, it’s important that you are aware of the risks before part with any of your hard earned cash, so you don’t end up buying a dud.

Check the tyres

Quite simply, if the tyres are not in good condition then the vehicle is not safe to drive. Always check the tyres before buying a second hand car, to make sure they are suitable for driving.

Fortunately, buying new tyres is not that expensive, especially if you buy them from an online store such as Tyre Shopper or one of the many other outlets on the internet.

Beware of clocking

The act of clocking is on the rise. What is clocking exactly? In a nutshell, it’s where the seller illegally winds back the mileage clock, so the amount of miles showing is not correct.

For example, if a car has done 90,000 miles, but the seller winds the clock back to 50,000 miles, then they will be able to sell the car for more money.

One good way to protect yourself against becoming the victim of clocking, is to check all of the paperwork that comes with the car. The mileage should have been recorded when the car went for a service or MOT, which means you can get a idea of what the current mileage should be.

Use a car data check website

If you want to be completely confident that the car you are about to buy is genuine, then it’s a good idea to check the details on a car data check website.

Why is this necessary?

Well, the car you are looking at could be a clone, or it might even be a “cut and shut,” where two cars have been welded together.

Worse yet, the car might even be stolen, which is why you should always check with a car data site before handing over any money.

There is nothing worse than buying a second hand car, only to get a visit from the police a few weeks later telling you that the car is stolen. In this kind of situation, you will lose both the car and your money, so it always pays to be safe.

Use common sense

Lastly, it’s important that you use common sense when looking at second hand cars. If an offer seems to good to be true, then it usually is. If an old car has a very low mileage, then there is a high chance it has been clocked.

Use common sense and you will be fine.